Lynn and I have known the Santorums for years and have come to appreciate their courageous and consistent conservative views and willingness to fight long and hard for the values we hold dear, even when the media and elites mock and attack them. I loved Rick’s Blue Collar Conservative book last year. And I continue to love his message of fighting to help workers and families and working to revive American manufacturing and rebuild the American military.

I was especially encouraged that Rick spoke of America’s need for a Great Awakening in his announcement speech. Indeed, I hope more candidates speak openly and honestly about our need not just for wise leadership in Washington but our urgent need for God’s grace and mercy and a massive spiritual revival.

Rick also signaled he will be soon rolling out a bold plan to scrap the tax code, abolish the IRS as we know it, and institute a simple, fair flat tax. As a long-time flat tax supporter, I say “amen,” and I’m eager to see the specifics of his plan.

Now, to be clear, it’s far too early to endorse anyone. Like many Americans, I want to see the entire presidential field emerge and compete and lay out their visions and their detailed plans for their future and show us what they are made of.

But Santorum has some impressive strengths that are worth noting at this early stage:

He’s deeply pro-life and pro-marriage and never wavers on these issues

Won 11 states (including Iowa) and 4 million votes in 2012 campaign, coming in second behind Romney

Perhaps the most experienced national candidate in the race having served four years in Congress, twelve years in the Senate & was 3rd highest ranking Republican leader in the Senate

Helped lead the way on major tax cuts and spending cuts and balancing the federal budget

Most foreign policy/national security experience having served on the Senate Armed Services Committee for eight years

Has a real track record of writing and passing very important legislation, not just giving speeches

Successfully led the fight to ban partial birth abortions

Successfully led the fight to end welfare as we know it and move millions from welfare to work

Successfully led the fight to impose sanctions on Iran Syria and has been warning about “Gathering Storm” of Radical Islam for 15 years

Now, Rick up against other solid folks that I also like a lot — Gov. Walker, Sen. Rubio, Gov. Jindal, and Gov. Huckabee among them. It’s way too early to say whether Rick can go all the way and win the nation’s trust. He’s behind in the polls, but he has a fascinating track record of being an underdog who surprises everyone. The point for now is that he’s a good man, a man of great faith in Christ and he has a great love for this country. He has very bold and specific ideas about how to turn this country around, and he really does get the Iran and ISIS threats far better than most. I’m glad he’s joined the race and I’m praying for the Lord to protect him and all the candidates.

May the Lord raise up just the right person at the right time to lead this country and get us back on the right track. The stakes are very high.

NOTE: These are my personal views and in no way reflect the views of The Joshua Fund which is a non-profit organization and takes no political positions.

Addressing the “Watchmen on the Wall” pastors conference in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, May 21, 2015.

(Washington, D.C.) — Today, I had the joy of addressing several hundred pastors from 43 states who are attending the “Watchmen On The Wall Conference” here in the American capital.

Family Research Council president Tony Perkins asked me to talk to the pastors, ministry leaders and wives about the importance of “Standing With Israel.”

Here is the heart of what I came to tell them:

“The Bible tells us the future of Israel. The Bible does not tell us the future of America. Not clearly. Not precisely.

“Bible prophecy tells us that Israel will be reborn as a geopolitical nation-state in the last days of history. It tells us that Jews will return to the Holy Land from exile all over the world in the last days of history, and that Jews will rebuild the ancient ruins in the land of Israel. The Bible tells us that God is in the process of reviving and redeeming and rescuing Israel, and that one day the Lord Jesus Christ will come back to Israel and reign over the entire world from Jerusalem.

“The Scriptures, however, are not so clear about the future of America. And this is what concerns me. Today, America is in not simply in a season of decline. We are heading for implosion. After killing 57 million babies, we are heading for judgment. Could God pour out His Holy Spirit on America to rescue and redeem us? Could He give us another Great Awakening? Could He forestall judgment and revive our nation one more time? He could. He did it in the 1700s. He did it in the 1800s. And I pray He will do it again. But we must be honest: He may not.

“This is America’s most dangerous hour. We need to pray for repentance and revival. We need to plead for the Lord to grant us a Great Awakening. We need to humble ourselves before the Lord and pray and fast. But we also need to understand that if on top of all our other national sins and challenges our government turns against Israel and the Jewish people, we will seal our fate and judgment will come once and for all.”

(Paris, France) — What if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad did not fully disclose all of his chemical weapons stockpiles several years ago, despite his insistence that he had been completely forthcoming? What if Assad and his government didn’t turn over all of their sarin gas stockpiles to the international community in their deal to avoid American airstrikes? What if a cache of chemical weapons in Syria were captured by ISIS terrorists?

Readers of this blog know these questions formed the premise of my recent geopolitical thriller, The Third Target, released in January. Now, news reports indicate this may not simply be the stuff of fiction. There are growing concerns by U.S. and other intelligence agencies that:

The Assad government did not, in fact, disclose and destroy all of its stockpiles of chemical weapons, including sarin gas, despite its pledge to do so.

The Assad government has continued to use chemical weapons against its enemies.

Rebel forces in Syria may be within striking distance of capturing chemical weapons.

In the novel, my fictional foreign correspondent sneaks into Syria in hopes of tracking down the truth. This sets into motion a harrowing journey that takes him also to Beirut, Istanbul, Washington, Tel Aviv, Amman, Cairo, Baghdad and Mosul, including into a meeting with the head of ISIS himself.

In real life, there are now indications that forces of the Islamic State and other rebel groups may not be far off from obtaining such genocidal weapons.

The U.S. government was informed months ago that an international monitoring body found traces of chemical weapons that President Bashar al-Assad had promised to turn over, including sarin gas — a clear violation of the deal he struck with President Obama after crossing the administration’s “red line” two years ago.

Officials from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons told the Obama administration early this year that its inspectors had found traces of two banned chemical weapons during an inspection of the Syrian government’s Scientific Studies and Research Center in the district of Barzeh near Damascus, two administration officials told us.

A report by Reuters May 8 said that OPCW inspectors had found traces of sarin and VX nerve agent at the site in separate inspections in December and January.

The discovery set off a months-long debate inside the administration about how to respond. President Obama is said to have not yet decided.

Meanwhile, a coalition of rebel groups on the ground has been attacking the area around the facility, raising the danger that the chemical weapons could fall into the hands of the rebels, many of whom are linked to Islamic extremists…..

“The real danger is if the regime loses control of these chemical materials,” one administration official who works on the Middle East told us.

This official…said that the discovery confirmed long-held suspicions inside the U.S. government that Syria was not completely forthcoming when it declared its chemical weapons in 2013 (part of a bargain to avoid U.S. airstrikes)….

“The sarin revelations shouldn’t be a surprise given the regime’s track record,” former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told us. “It’s a violation of the deal we struck with the Russians and it’s a violation of the deal the Syrian regime struck with the UN.”….

Former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn said his assessment was that Assad was concealing many chemical weapons sites and most likely still has chemical weapons capability. “It’s nearly impossible to confirm that Syria got rid of all their chemical weapons,” he told us. “Their track record is not one of full compliance on anything.”

The implications of such developments are chilling. What if ISIS or another Radical Islamic terrorist group got hold of such genocidal weapons? Who might they strike with them — the U.S., Israel, a European nation, one of our Arab allies? This is a story worth watching closely.

NOTE: Sorry I haven’t been posting as regularly as I usually do. I’ve been in France for the past two weeks. Will give you an update on that soon.

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land….” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Yes, we need leaders in Washington and the media and the business world and academia and throughout society to turn to the Lord and serve Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. But we cannot wait for the politicians and pundits to get it right. We must start with ourselves. Revival begins inside the Church.

Yesterday, Christians all over the United States began nine days of repentance and prayer for revival in America — May 15th through the 23rd. I’m grateful to my friend, Anne Graham Lotz, for calling for this urgent time of intercession. I join her in asking the Lord to have mercy on this country we love so much, this country that is currently headed in the exact wrong direction. Would you join us, as well?

May the Lord wake up and purify His Church, and give us a new hunger and thirst for righteousness and a new longing to walk closely with Him in the power of the Holy Spirit.

May He give followers of Jesus Christ a deep new compassion for the poor and vulnerable.

May He grant believers a new boldness to preach the Gospel and teach the Word.

May He give us all a new determination to make disciples of all nations, in accordance with Matthew 28:18-20.

May He grant His Church a new humility to love and serve and comfort people who feel so burdened and alone.

May He reveal the true identity of His Son Jesus Christ to those who don’t know Him yet and adopt millions of them into His family and His kingdom.

Here is the letter Anne posted online and has sent to people all over the country. Please take time to read it and share it with others. Thank you, and God bless you, and may God mercy on this country we love so dearly.

—————————————–

“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now…Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.” Matthew 24:21 / Psalm 107:19

This past Spring, Joel Rosenberg and I taught through the book of Joel as we led a prophecy seminar at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. It was my privilege to give the first two messages that covered Joel 1:1 through Joel 2:17. The impact on me was profound. Both times, when I stepped off of the platform, I knew God had spoken. The messages almost made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Why? Because God was clearly warning that His judgment is coming on America and on our world, and it’s going to be ugly. I knew it then, and I know it now.

I believe Jesus is soon to return to take all of His followers to Heaven with Him in what is referred to as The Rapture. While this will be deliverance for His people, can you imagine the impact on our nation, let alone the world, when suddenly every single authentic Christian disappears?

Institutions will collapse. Banks will close. The Stock Market will plunge. Planes will fall out of the sky. Cars will crash on the road. Government in America at every level will disintegrate. Families will be torn apart. In the unprecedented turmoil, our nation will be vulnerable for our enemies to seize the moment and attack us. There will be mass chaos, confusion, fear, grief, despair, anger, threats, danger… judgment.

But just as God allowed the Israelites, His people, to go through three of the ten plagues He sent in judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt in Exodus 6-8, God may allow His people today to go through a time of distress and trouble before The Rapture takes place. I believe we are in that time now. I believe it’s time to not just pray. It’s time to cry out to God on behalf of our nation and our world.

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! is an international distress call that signals a life-threatening emergency. And it’s the call to cry out that I am issuing May 15-May 23. These are the nine days between the Day of the Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost that have Biblically and traditionally been days of prayer and fasting for an outpouring of God’s Spirit.

* To claim God our Father’s promise of an outpouring of His Spirit in these days following three blood moons and a total solar eclipse: …I will pour out my Spirit in those days …The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Joel 2:29, 31

* To implore God the Holy Spirit to compel the church to repent of sin and our nation to return to faith in the living God, that times of refreshing may come… Acts 3:19

* To entreat God our Savior for an abundant harvest of souls for His Kingdom in the remaining days. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? ¹ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4:35

* To delay or soften God’s judgment that is coming on America and on our world. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing. Joel 2:13-14

For those who sign up, I will provide a prayer I have written personally for each of the 9 days, as well as a brief video message, so that we pray with one accord. Before it’s too late and judgment falls on our nation.

“Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes [to help me lead you].” — Moses’ command to the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 1:13)

Israel has a new government. Its Members were sworn in Thursday evening after Prime Minister Netanyahu named his cabinet.

Netanyahu immediately called on opposition leader Isaac Herzog to join the government as Foreign Minister. The PM asked Herzog to help him unify the country amidst enormous challenges, including the Iran nuclear threat, ISIS, an imploding Syria, a resurgent Hezbollah in Lebanon, the need to find peace with the Palestinians, the need to strengthen U.S.-Israeli ties, badly strained in recent years, and the importance of expanding economic growth and helping the poor and the middle class who face high and rising food, fuel and housing prices.

Herzog thus far has refused Netanyahu’s offer.

The Bible commands us to pray for our leaders, and this new government definitely needs our prayers. We need to pray for Israeli leaders to have great wisdom and discernment on how to handle these domestic and foreign policy matters, and to demonstrate a deep commitment to serve, protect and honor all members of society, Arabs as well as Jews.

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” (I Timothy 2:1-3)

There are many deep divisions within Israeli society and Israel urgently needs leaders who understand these divisions and seek to bring healing and unity, not to exacerbate these tensions. Religious and ultra-religious Jews are at odds with more secular and traditional Jews, and with Jews who believe in Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus). Ashkenazi Jews (those from European countries) have deep differences with Sephardic Jews (those from Spain, North Africa and the Arab world). There are also tensions between Sabra Israelis (native born) and those from Russia and Ethiopia. Then there are serious strains between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs, as well as with Palestinian Arabs. Many are concerned the deeply divided new government not only reflects the deeply divided society but will make things worse. All the more reason for us to pray to the God of Israel to have mercy on these leaders and on all the inhabitants of the Land.

One major question looming over the new government: How long will it last? Despite a big and unexpected win two months ago for his Likud Party in national elections, Netanyahu struggled to put together the broad governing coalition he promised. Instead, he was only able to cobble together a razor-thin coalition comprising only 61 of the Knesset’s 120 members, the bare minimum. This means that the defection of even a single Member of Parliament — or one who is ill, or one who is traveling or on vacation — could topple the government. It also means that a single Knesset Member might be able to extract all kinds of benefits in return for his or her loyalty to the coalition and/or his or her vote on specific pieces of legislation.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition was formally sworn in on Thursday night after a raucous Knesset session that saw constant heckling, along with accusations by opposition leader Isaac Herzog that the freshly inaugurated government was ‘a circus,'” reported the Times of Israel. “The Netanyahu government, formed after arduous negotiations following the March 17 elections, thus finally took office almost two months after polling day, with the narrowest possible parliamentary majority.”

“The vote on the new cabinet passed by 61 to 59 — representing the balance of forces in the Knesset,” the Times noted. “Netanyahu’s five-party coalition numbers 61 members (Likud, 30; Kulanu, 10; Jewish Home, 8; Shas, 7; and United Torah Judaism, 6), to the opposition’s 59 seats (Zionist Union, 24; Joint Arab List, 13; Yesh Atid, 11; Yisrael Beytenu, 6; and Meretz, 5). Earlier, taking the stand in the plenum, Netanyahu issued an appeal for electoral reform, and, in a veiled appeal to Zionist Union party chief Herzog, said he was leaving the ‘door open’ to expanding his cabinet.”

“I am leaving the door open to expanding the government for two reasons. The first: Because I think the state needs it. And second: Because this is the only way to amend this [political system],” Netanyahu said. Turning to Herzog, he said, “I assume that the leader of the opposition won’t enter the government, but we must come together to change the system.”

ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured here) has been severely wounded in an airstrike. Word is he has been replaced by a Radical physicist based in Mosul.

Even as ISIS forces slaughter Christians and Muslims throughout Iraq, Syria and North Africa — and plot new attacks against the U.S., Israel and Jordan — there is a dramatic new development in terms of the organization’s leadership.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of ISIS, has been seriously woundedin an airstrike in Iraq.

Now a new leader has emerged, apparently based in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the site of the ancient ruins of Nineveh.

“The Islamic State’s temporary leader is a former Iraqi physics teacher located in the country’s second-biggest city, Mosul,” reports Newsweek, based on an interview with “the adviser to the Iraqi government on ISIS.”

Last month, “it was reported by the Guardianthat the terror group’s caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was seriously wounded in a U.S. coalition airstrike in western Iraq in March, leaving him with injuries which allegedly rendered him incapable of carrying out the day-to-day duties as caliph,” the article noted. “The revelation raised questions about the leadership structure of the group and reportedly led to frantic meetings between senior ISIS officials on life after Baghdadi.

“Speaking to Newsweek, Dr Hisham al Hashimi, the Iraqi government adviser, confirmed that Abu Alaa Afri, the self-proclaimed caliph’s deputy and a former physics teacher, has now been installed as the stand-in leader of the terror group in Baghdadi’s absence,” the article added.

More excerpts:

“After Baghdadi’s wounding, he [Afri] has begun to head up Daesh [arabic term for ISIS] with the help of officials responsible for other portfolios,” confirms Hashimi. “He will be the leader of Daesh if Baghdadi dies.”

It is believed that Afri is located in the al-Hadar region of the city of Mosul.

He has risen through the ranks of the group, becoming more prominent in the eyes of the group’s leadership and even more important than Baghdadi himself, Hashimi claims.

“Yes – more important, and smarter, and with better relationships. He is a good public speaker and strong charisma,” says the adviser when asked if Afri is now more important within the group than Baghdadi. “All the leaders of Daesh find that he has much jihadi wisdom, and good capability at leadership and administration.”

Little is known about Afri, also known as Haji Iman, but Hashimi reveals some details about the previous life of Baghdadi’s mysterious right-hand man.

“He was a physics teacher in Tal Afar [northwestern Iraqi city] in Nineveh, and has dozens of publications and religious (shariah) studies of his own,” he says. “He is a follower of Abu Musaab al-Suri [prominent jihadi scholar].”….

Hassan Hassan, Middle East analyst and co-author of the New York Times bestseller ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, says that Afri is “one of its most important players”.

“Abu Alaa [Afri] seems to have become more prominent in recent months, especially after the group began to suffer tactical defeats in Syria and Iraq since December. He replaced [ISIS’s Syria governor Abu Ali] al-Anbari as al-Baghdadi’s top man after al-Baghdadi became less involved in decision making for security reasons,” says Hassan.

Before becoming Baghdadi’s deputy, Afri was a key coordination link between Baghdadi and his inner circle and also his emirs in different provinces across the group’s extensive caliphate in Syria, Iraq and Libya. “Appointment as a wilayat [province] coordinator is an indication of profound trust and this position is essentially the last link between ISIS’s upper echelon and its lower ranks,” Hassan adds.

It is believed that Afri, when senior al-Qaeda operatives Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri were killed in 2010, was Osama bin Laden’s preferred choice to become emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the group which eventually morphed into ISIS. Further, last July, The Telegraphrevealed ISIS’s cabinet of which it reported that Afri, named as Abu Suja in the report, was a “general coordinator for the affairs of martyrs and women”.

Afri is believed to have travelled to Afghanistan in 1998, according to Hashimi, before becoming a senior member of al-Qaeda after its future Iraqi leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi pledged allegiance to the terror group in 2004. He oversaw the sharia authorities in northern Iraq and “was very strict”, notes the Iraqi adviser….

[I]t is believed that he leans toward reconciliation with rival extremist group al-Qaeda and its Syrian affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and prefers that ISIS’s leadership structure is composed half of Arabs and half of foreign members of the group.

Hassan concludes that the rise of Afri should not be viewed as the overtaking of Baghdadi as he was installed a “supreme leader” with his generals having the authority to “steer the group”, leading and planning their activities while ensuring the entire leadership “communicate on big issues”.

Washington cannot fix all that ails us. We need to humble ourselves and pray like we’ve never prayed before.

On my recent book tour in the U.S., I had the opportunity to address those attending the final dinner of the National Religious Broadcasters convention. My topic was “Three Existential Threats Facing America.” Rather than go through every reason our nation is in trouble, I highlighted three I find among the most serious.

Not long after that event, I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, where Anne Graham Lotz and I taught a seminar through the Old Testament book of Joel. Anne and one of her daughters took me up to Montreat to visit the Reverend Billy Graham. It was a very special time of praying and reading the Scriptures together with America’s most respected evangelist. He is a lion in winter, graying and tired, but he’s still thinking clearly and still passionate about his love for Jesus Christ. Dr. Graham is clearly ready to go be with his Savior, but in the meantime — unable to preach or travel any longer — he is praying for America to turn around before it’s too late.

During those few days, Anne and I not only taught the Scriptures and the warnings from the ancient Hebrew prophet Joel. We also had time to share our deep and growing burden for how much trouble America is in. Privately, and with those who attended the weekend seminar, we discussed how rapidly so many are turning away from the Lord and away from His Word and refusing to honor Him or follow the Bible’s teachings on so many subjects, from the sanctity of innocent human life, to the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman, to the importance of loving and blessing Israel and the Jewish people, and in so many other ways.

As a result of that time, Anne has decided to launch a national call for prayer and fasting and repentance, and I join her in this call. From May 15th to May 23rd, would you join us and people from all over the country — and all over the world — to pray for Americans to turn back to the Lord, and for the Lord to grant us another Great Awakening?

We cannot wait for the politicians in Washington to get it right. We cannot wait for the cultural and media elites in New York and Hollywood to get it right. It is urgent that we get it right — that we humble ourselves and turn to our Father in heaven and ask for His mercy on us, our families, our communities, our leaders and our nation. There is much Washington can do to get America back on the right track — or make the situation far worse — but Washington cannot fix all that ails us. Washington cannot save us. Only the Lord can do that. But time is growing short.

Here is the letter Anne has posted online and is sending to people all over the country. Please take time to read it and share it with others. Thank you, and God bless you, and may God mercy on this country we love so dearly.

————————————

“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now…Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.” Matthew 24:21 / Psalm 107:19

This past Spring, Joel Rosenberg and I taught through the book of Joel as we led a prophecy seminar at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. It was my privilege to give the first two messages that covered Joel 1:1 through Joel 2:17. The impact on me was profound. Both times, when I stepped off of the platform, I knew God had spoken. The messages almost made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Why? Because God was clearly warning that His judgment is coming on America and on our world, and it’s going to be ugly. I knew it then, and I know it now.

I believe Jesus is soon to return to take all of His followers to Heaven with Him in what is referred to as The Rapture. While this will be deliverance for His people, can you imagine the impact on our nation, let alone the world, when suddenly every single authentic Christian disappears?

Institutions will collapse. Banks will close. The Stock Market will plunge. Planes will fall out of the sky. Cars will crash on the road. Government in America at every level will disintegrate. Families will be torn apart. In the unprecedented turmoil, our nation will be vulnerable for our enemies to seize the moment and attack us. There will be mass chaos, confusion, fear, grief, despair, anger, threats, danger… judgment.

But just as God allowed the Israelites, His people, to go through three of the ten plagues He sent in judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt in Exodus 6-8, God may allow His people today to go through a time of distress and trouble before The Rapture takes place. I believe we are in that time now. I believe it’s time to not just pray. It’s time to cry out to God on behalf of our nation and our world.

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! is an international distress call that signals a life-threatening emergency. And it’s the call to cry out that I am issuing May 15-May 23. These are the nine days between the Day of the Ascension of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost that have Biblically and traditionally been days of prayer and fasting for an outpouring of God’s Spirit.

* To claim God our Father’s promise of an outpouring of His Spirit in these days following three blood moons and a total solar eclipse: …I will pour out my Spirit in those days …The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Joel 2:29, 31

* To implore God the Holy Spirit to compel the church to repent of sin and our nation to return to faith in the living God, that times of refreshing may come… Acts 3:19

* To entreat God our Savior for an abundant harvest of souls for His Kingdom in the remaining days. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? ¹ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4:35

* To delay or soften God’s judgment that is coming on America and on our world. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing. Joel 2:13-14

For those who sign up, I will provide a prayer I have written personally for each of the 9 days, as well as a brief video message, so that we pray with one accord. Before it’s too late and judgment falls on our nation.

And for the first time ever, we will lead an optional additional tour to the Biblical sites of the Kingdom of Jordan for those who want to extend their time and learn more. This will be from October 25-29, 2015.

If you have never been to the Holy Land, it is hard to describe what a profound spiritual effect such a journey can have on you and your family. You may have heard others say God’s Word seemed to “come alive” in a new way when they walked where Jesus walked, from the shores of Galilee to the Mount of Olives and into the streets of Jerusalem. Well, it’s true, and I believe our 2015 Israel trip will allow you to experience this for yourself and intensify your desire to walk more closely with Jesus Christ.

If you have been to Israel before, this trip will be a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of how powerfully the Lord is moving there. And this tour is like no other!

You will visit The Joshua Fund’s warehouse and participate in a practical ministry project to bless the poor and needy.

You will have the opportunity to meet with and pray for local pastors and ministry leaders on the frontlines of the faith.

You will have the opportunity to hear solid Bible teaching, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for all the people of the epicenter, and have the joy of worshipping the Lord in the land of Jesus, the prophets and the apostles.

I will also teach at key locations and answer your questions about the future of the Epicenter.

And, as I mentioned, for those who want to learn more, we are offering our first-ever extension to visit Biblical and historic sites in Jordan such as Mount Nebo, Petra and the capital of Amman.

Now more than ever, it is vitally important for Christians to “learn, pray, give and go” — to really learn how much God loves the people of Israel, Jordan and the region; to pray with and for Jews and Arabs; to give to ministries that are truly blessing people on both sides in the name of Jesus; and actually go to the Holy Land to stand with these dear people in these challenging times.